Buggy Leaf Spice cookies

Cooking Instructions

In a large bowl, knead flour and spice into cookie dough until combined; knead in 1/4 tsp brown food color until dough is the color of light gingerbread. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a 1-in.-thick disk. Wrap separately. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.

Heat oven to 350°F. You'll need a baking sheet(s). Roll 1 dough disk at a time between sheets of wax paper to 1/8 in. thick. Using floured cutters, cut out leaves. Transfer cutouts with floured spatula to an ungreased baking sheet, 1 in. apart. Reroll and cut scraps. Score leaf veins in each cookie.

Bake 14 minutes or until golden at edges. Cool on sheet on wire rack 5 minutes before removing cookies to rack to cool completely.

To decorate leaves: Pipe decorating icing in scored veins in leaves. Outline cookies with decorating icing and sprinkle icing with decorating sugar.

Using photo as a guide, decorate ladybugs and caterpillars: Thin some orange decorating icing with drops of water until thin enough to apply with an artist's brush; paint onto ladybug cookies, using the design in cookies as a guide. Let cookies dry at least 2 hours. Using the black writing gel, fill in the spots, legs and head of the ladybugs. Place 2 nonpareils on head for eyes. For the caterpillars, thin green decorating icing with water and paint onto cookie. Place a nonpareil eye and pipe legs with yellow decorating icing. Let dry.

Makes 60 (3 1/2-in.) cookies, 32 (4 1/2-in.) or 24 (6-in.)

Serving based on one 4 1/2-in. cookie.